Eastern Illinois University The Keep April 2008 4-28-2008 Daily Eastern News: April 28, 2008 Eastern Illinois University Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2008_apr Recommended Citation Eastern Illinois University, "Daily Eastern News: April 28, 2008" (2008). April. 20. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/den_2008_apr/20 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2008 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in April by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "TELL THE TRUTH AND DON'T BE AFRAID" WWW.DENNEWS.COM The DAILY EASTERN NEWS EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, CHARLESTON MONDAY 14 .28.08 VOL. 95 I ISSUE 74 CAMPUS I FESTIVAL Mother and daughter will graduate at the same ceremony D honda McConnell's only wor­ She first called Rachel to make .l~ on graduation day will be sure it was 0 K with her. not tripping. "I was afraid she would feel like She does not have the same wor­ I was homing in on her big celebra­ ries for her daughter, who will be tion," Rhonda said. walking across the same stage only a She couldn't have been more few moments before her. wrong. Rhonda said her daugh­ By Rachel McConnell, a senior pub­ ter thought that would just be "the Emily lic communications studies major, is coolest dting." Zulz terrified. "Some people laugh. lltey're Activities She's been in school for 18 years like, 'With your mom?"' she said. Reporter of her life. The daunting task of find­ "But we're really close, so to get to ing a job now lies before her while do something that not very many In a group right below the stage, Marjie Wilburn, a freshman art still balancing homework and gradu­ people get to do together, I think, is education major, blows bubbles to the tunes of American English, ating, she said. exciting." a Beatles cover band. American English performed Friday on the Rhonda. in the Bachelor of Rhonda, who has taken classes at Library Quad as a part of Celebration festivities. Arts in General Studies Degree Eastern since Fall 2004, transferred Program, said she's lucky she her classes into the BGS program in has none of that pressure to January. It accepted all her classes, get a job because she already and she had all the requirements to Celebration of life has one. graduate. That day, Rhonda applied "All along, all these class­ for graduation. es that I've taken, it's nev­ lightens up Quad er been with this, 'I have A forgotten dream to do this. I need an edu­ Rhonda had forgotten about her cation so I can get a good dream she had in 1980 when she Art, mus ic, food, ONLINE VIDEO job,"' she said. first started college - gening her games make up lltat's what her daugh­ bachelor's. ter and other tradition­ She went to college after she grad­ Eastern's weekend See dennews.com al college students go uated from high school and said it celebration for a video of American through, Rhonda said. was just assumed that she would fin­ English from EIU's ''I'm more nervous ish. Celebration festival. about just walking and But she dropped out, got married By Heather Holm not falling," she said. and had a baby. RHA Reporter ''I'll laugh the loudest She then went to Parkland Col­ Information Technology Services, if you do," Rachel said. lege and got her associate's degree. Tracy Rohr has sold jewelry at spent his weekend as an art vendor. "I bet you will," At that point, Rhonda said she various art festivals for about eight He sold kaleidoscopes and stained Rhonda said. never really thought she would go years. glass, spanning from $10 to $50. Along with the back to college. That is, until her "I have had a lifelong interest in "For a long time, my wife and I McConnells, about daughter started at Eastern. natural gemstones and have been used to do it regularly - and then 1,662 others will walk Rachel said dte whole family was collecting rocks since I was a kid," we had kids," he said of selling at this Saturday's com- excited for her mom when she first the Ohio native said. items at the festival. "Now that we mencement exercises. started talking about going back. This weekend marked Rohr's are a little older, we are going to try "It was always her and Dad com­ first time at Eastern's Celebration and start it up again." A short notice ing to stuff for me and my sister, festival, but she said she partakes in Jeni Huckstep, educational ser­ It wasn't until supporting us," she said. "This gave 30 to 35 festivals a year. vices coordinator at WEIU, helped March that Rhonda us something else to support her in. Art, music and food were all organize the booth that hosted found out for sure she Something to say, 'Hey, do this. We celebrated at the annual "Festival Clifford the Big Red Dog. Clifford would be able to grad­ can go to your stuff What can we of the Arts." 1l1e festival provid­ participated in the festival Saturday uate. do for you?"' ed a host for many art vendors in and Sunday afternoon. "I wanted (Rachel) to the Charleston area and included a "The kids loved him," Huckstep graduate first and, honest­ A supportive team performance from American Eng­ said. "We took about 110 pictures ly, I don't know that I ever thought Rachel said when her mom first lish, a Beatles cover band. with him and the kids on Saturday, that I would graduate," she said. "I started taking classes, all she talked English professor Letitia Mof­ and we have goody bags for all the just kept thinking I would take class­ about was getting a 4.0 GPA. And fitt said she stopped at the festi­ kids that come up." es and it would never end up with a she did. val to take a break from grading On Saturday, about 50 peo­ degree." "'That's all she still talks about," papers. But the festival was not just ple waited in line before Clifford But in January, Rhonda father's Rachel said. a relaxing break for some vendor.s arrived. cancer returned. She then decided and volunteers. she should try. » SEE GRADUATION, PAGE 5 Brett Bensley, who works at » SEE CELEBRATION, PAGE 5 UNIVERSITY I ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Foreign language proposal returns to CAA Three credit hour nor reject the proposal as voted upon gle foreign language with an average approach when I shared it with requirement needs last week (April 17), but return it to grade of a Cor better. the1n." CAA to address some logical and The proposal passed CAA with a CAA chairperson Christie Rosz­ more consideration, operational issues that did not get vote of 6-4 and was supposed to take kowski said she believed the proposal says Blair Lord discussed fully," said Lord, pro­ effect in Fall2010. was being returned to CAA for con­ vost and vice president for academ­ Julie Dietz, vice-chairwoman of sideration of some issues that were ic affitirs. CAA, said it was her understanding not fully researched or discussed on By Nora Maberry The proposal was approved by the proposal was being sent back to April17. News Editor CAA on April 17 and would have CAA. '1 believe that these issues relate required students to complete three "At this point, nothing is certain," primarily to the impact and imple­ Blair Lord has recommended co semester hours of a single foreign she said regarding the proposal. mentation of the proposal, not to President Bill Perry that a propos­ language with an average grade of C Lord said he believes CAA will the substance of it," she said. al increasing the foreign language or better. revisit the proposal in the future. Roszkowski said it is uncommon requirement be returned to the In lieu of college cour.se work, the "In my opinion, there also are for proposals to be returned to CAA PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Council on Academic Affairs for fur­ proposal said that requirement could many potential matters which need by the president or the provost. BY BRYCE PEAKE I ther consideration. be met by a variety of things, includ­ carefi.u consideration before mov­ THE DAILY EASTERN '1 have recommended to Pres­ ing the completion of at least three ing forward," Lord said. "The mem­ Nora Maberry can be reached at 581 - NEWS ident Perry that he neither approve years of high school study of a sin- bers of CAA seemed open to this 7942 or at [email protected]. NEWS WWW.DENNEWS.COM I THE DAILY EASTERN NEWS I MONDAY 4.28.08 EIU WEATHE~R _ MONDAY WEATHER BRIEF DEN STAFF Expect rain showers throughout the day with PRODUCTION STAH ABOUTTHE DAILY EASTBIN NEWS 53°132° NightdOef _______. Matt Daniels "!"he o.ay Eostern N.ws is produced by the stu­ the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm. Wind lead designer Chri• Walden dencsof Eastern llirM>tS U.W.r.ity. lt is published Showers gusts near 30 mph and small hailstones are Copy editorsldesignen Ano& Pham doily Mondoy through Friday, in Charleston. Ill.. WEDNESDAY possible with these storms. ---------l<evin~neoly dumg fal and spring ~and twice weekly Likely ---------Kevin Murphy dunngthesummertermeoo:eptduringuniverlity wlG-15 /30 70°153° for rurrent condi!l011S VISit EIU'1\tatMr<elter at www.tJu.tdu/-W!flthet ---------HeathorHolm vacations or examinations.